The Assassin's Curse
by Estalio
Summary: Kaoru has overcome a hard life and is just getting to her feet when she's kidnapped by the infamous Battosai for her hidden heritage. Now she must change her kidnappers' hearts before they change hers... KK, SM, AM Ch.6 is up!
1. Defining her worth

**The Assassin's Curse**

**Author's Note:** This is my first posted fic ever. So, if it's a little rough around the edges, that's why. So go easy on me. I've used the inspiration other authors have given me and I want to thank them so much. Well wish me luck with this fic and I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and please no nasty flames, I do accept constructive criticism (in fact I probably need it) or anything else you wish to offer. Now on with the fic!

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, for me, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki.

**Defining her Worth**

1865:

"Did you know? You weren't the first," cited the low voice of an aged man shrouded in the dark corners of the dimly lit office. "There was one, only one, before you. Approximately eighty years ago when a war, very much like this current one, was waged for many of the same purposes."

"Sir?" The emotionless man on the opposite side of the room inquired, his amber eyes glinted in the soft glow of the lamp sitting on the desk where the older of the men sat.

"Don't you ever wonder why you were titled 'Battousai'?" The man at the desk in the corner asked rhetorically. "It was because there was another 'Battousai' before you. A merciless hitokiri who vanished from any known records up until recently. Those who heardhis namecringed at it's slightest mention. They even used to say that the likes of him would never be seen again. That is until you, of course," he ventured slightly off topic. "He literally could not be stopped."

"Sir, how does this man relate to my next assignment?" The boy's patience was wearing thin. He still had yet to receive his next mission from his commander. Though impatient he retained his unfailing, emotionless mask.

"Patience, Himura, I'm getting to that. Now, where was I?" He lifted his two fingers to his chin, twisting his face as he tried to recall his place in the tale. "Oh, yes, I remember! But was most surprising about this 'Battousai' was not his unsurpassed strength, speed, agility, or even his cunning, but rather that 'he' was a 'she'."

"Wha-" The assassin's stony mask nearly slipped, as he wasn't expecting that detail.

"Let me finish, Himura," He interrupted raising his hand in the light to signal to boy to stop and allow him to continue. "As I was saying, she had concealed her identity so convincingly that not even her comrades knew her secret, merely her superiors. And if anyone were to ever discover her identity theynever lived to tell about it. No one, that is, until one man. He was also an efficient hitokiri, for the opposing forces. He was assigned to assassinate 'The Battousai'. And almost too conveniently she was ordered to dispose of him as well on the exact night he was to kill her. There were no witnesses to what happened next. But, it's known that theyfought, to the brink of death. And supposedly they just collapsed. But, they both survived and evntually grew to know eachother. And odd as it may seem, through a course of events they fell in love."

"Sir-"

His commander, Katsura Kogoro, silenced him, "They were secretly wed and record shows they had four children. Through these events 'Battousai' ceased to exist and so that's why there was never any information about her until very recently. Very few are still alive who even vaguely remember her."

"Do the records show their names?" The redheaded boy wondered aloud. He trusted this had something to do with his mission so he figured he should find out as much as he could.

Katsura was one of the very few people who knew the boy in front of him well enough to see when he became curious, which he obviously was now. His assassin's boyish curiosity caused him togive an amused chuckle. In response the young Battousai narrowed his gaze on his commander as though daring to threaten him.

"But, anyway, to answer your question, Himura," he eyed his hitokiri with knowing eyes. "Her birth-given name was Denushi Yumiko, his was Kamiya Kenji. As I said earlier they had four children, three boys and a daughter. Two of there sons died in an accident which left them with a son and daughter. The two remaining kids were both married. However, the daughter was barren and couldn't have kids. Their son, however, had one child, a daughter. Now the 'The Battousai', her husband, and their two remainingchildren are dead. Her granddaughter, though, is very much alive. And this brings us to the topic of your mission."

"I'm listening, Katsura-San," he was just eager to receive his assassination duties and be gone.

"She is the assistant sensei of a dojo on the outskirts of Edo. It is your job," he paused. "To find and _kidnap_ Kamiya Kaoru."

* * *

"Yahiko? Yahiko!" The young sapphire-eyed, raven-haired kendo instructor shouted at the top of her lungs, impatience evident in her voice. She rounded the corner of the dojo mumbling, "Where is that little-" 

She crashed into a solid, tall man dressed in a white gi, which sported the 'aku' sign, meaning 'wicked', on the back. He was obviously a fighter of some sort, you could tell because of his muscular body and his distinctive stance. He wore a crimson-colored ribbon around his forehead underneath his bangs and spiky hair. This feature caused him to, strangely enough, resemble a rooster.

"Whoa! Slow down there, Jou-chan, why are you in such a big hurry? You lookin' for something?" The rooster-head, commonly known as Sagara Sanosuke, flashed his cocky, trademark grin.

"Ugh! It's more like _someone_," Kaoru bluntly stated.

She was obviously irritated,_ extremely_ irritated. Sano knew better than to mess with Kaoru when she was frustrated. And he guessed, by her lavender gi and white hakamas, that she was ready for another training session with Yahiko, her only lasting student.

At one point she had twelve steady students, but as things began to get harder and more extreme they began to leave, one by one. Until, the only student left was none other than Myojin Yahiko. Those who left claimed the Kamiya style as weak and useless in this Bakumatsu. Though in essence, they couldn't handle it when things started to prove difficult. But, she wouldn't give up. She would keep her promise and pass her style to the next generation, even if it's just one small student.

"Anyway, Sano have you seen Yahiko anywhere? I can't find him," she sounded exasperated, and she looked it too. He figured it best not to toy with her.

"Uh, yeah. He said he was going to the Akabeko, I think. He just left a little while ago," Sano concluded carelessly.

"To see Tsubame, no doubt," she thoroughly delighted in poking fun at her young apprentice. He was like a brother to her, as was Sano. They were her family. But, right now Kaoru needed to find her 'little brother' and make sure he got what was coming to him, "Oh, he's in sooo much trouble when I get to him. This is the second time this week he's skipped out on practice, and it's only Tuesday!"

"Well, I guess it seems Yahiko-chan has developed a small crush on Miss Tsubame-chan," like Kaoru teasing Yahiko was one of his favorite pastimes, after all both he and Kaoru were like family to him. He was disturbed from his thoughts when he heard the creaking of the dojo gates, "Oi! Jou-chan, do ya got any food in this place?" He called to her before she left.

"Go find your own food, you free-loader!" The short-tempered Kaoru yelled back to him, and with that she stalked off into town.

* * *

Kaoru navigated her way through the closely packed streets of Edo while the sounds of children's laughter, busy shoppers, eager marketers, and the occasional drunk filled her ears. Some people she passed handed her awkward glances from the corners of their eyes. Kaoru was clearly aware of their stares. Though it's not like she could blame them, after all, how often do you see a young woman dressed in a man's attire carrying a traditional shinai.  
She sighed inwardly, the streets of Edo were so boisterous and full-of –life while the sun still shone in sky. But, when night's blanket fell over the city and the only light to be seen for miles was the pale moon and the hesitant gleam of the stars poking through. When blackness overtook the city not even a cricket dare chirp. But, then again, this was the Bakumatsu and, although this wasn't Kyoto, it was still deadly to be up at that hour.  
Kaoru gradually woke from her own thoughts when her destination came into view. She saw the Akabeko, a westernized restaurant owned by her close friend, Tae. She slipped in through the entrance unnoticed by all but Tae, who was swiftly approaching Kaoru. 

"Kaoru-chan! Good morning! It's so good to see you! Can I get you anything?" Tae embraced Kaoru with her usual enthusiastic mood.

"Uh, iie," Kaoru sputtered out. " But, arigatou."

"Heh, gomen," Tae quickly apologized for her abrupt assault on Kaoru. "It's just I'm excited to see you again. But, I was ill it's been awhile since I last got to see you. By the way, why, um, are you here?"

That brought Kaoru back to her sour mood and reminded her of her current mission, "To find that kid!"

"You mean…Yahiko-chan," taken aback by Kaoru startling mood Tae whimpered her response.

"Hai!" She confirmed in a not-so-pleasant tone. "This is the second time this week he's skipped out on practice!"

"Second time? But, it's only Tuesday," Tae pointed out.

"I know."

Tae wasn't so sure she should give away Yahiko's bearings to Kaoru when she was in such a foul mood. But, she decided Kaoru would find out anyway so she told her, "He's right over there," Tae motioned to a hidden booth in the corner. "Talking to Tsubame-chan I think."

"Right," Kaoru began marching over then remembered her manners. "Arigatou, Tae-san."

Kaoru steadily approached the booth ready to pounce and she heard Tsubame's shy voice.

"Um, Yahiko, don't you have training with Kaoru-san today," she reminded then, becoming braver, began scolding him. "You shouldn't make her worry like that. She trains you well. And when she finds out you skipped you know how angry she'll be." 

"I know, I know," he snapped, then speaking more softly said, " You don't have to tell _me_ twice."

"Is that so, Yahiko-chan," Kaoru's shadow loomed over them, interrupting their conversation. "If that were true then you'd be doing you're warm up exercises right now."

Yahiko's mouth hung agape as he tried to think of some sort of excuse and when none came to mind he peeked up at her dark, menacing eyes and blurted out the first thing he did think of. "Don't call me 'chan'."

"I wouldn't have to if you were a little more reliable!" Kaoru retorted. "Anyway, did you think I wouldn't notice my _only _student missing when it's time to train!"

"Well, maybe if you learned to cook I wouldn't have to come to Akabeko to eat," he lied through his teeth.

"And what's so bad about my cooking?" Kaoru questioned.

Silence

"Sano eats it," she stated.

Yahiko mumbled something incoherent under his breath.

"What was that?" Kaoru urged him to respond.

"That's cause he's desperate," Yahiko muttered bluntly.

That was clearly not the answer Kaoru wanted to hear by looking at the swelling appearing on his head in the same spot Kaoru had just whacked him.

"What was that for, busu!" Yahiko growled.

He was rewarded with another swelling bruise on his head identical to the first.

"That was for calling ugly," she replied frankly. "Now come on. We are not going to miss another practice for your little excursions." She hinted, briefly sweeping her eyes in Tsubame's direction.

This last comment caused Yahiko to feel he face redden to the color of an apple. He cast his eyes down to shield his embarrassment, neither confirming nor denying Kaoru's suspicions. Tsubame, too young and naïve to realize the cause of the controversy, just sat there oblivious, confusion heavy in her dark brown orbs.

Kaoru, realizing the impact of her most recent remark, recover quickly by saying, "Well, come on you're in for an extra hundred swings when we get back." She was obviously feeling very lenient in light of the situation.

Yahiko, recognizing this as his turn to speak, said, "You're too evil to me."

Kaoru hit him upside the head, sealing their compromise. They were back to their usual ways. And Tae, watching the controversy from afar, seemed to understand the connection the two had. He was like her own brother and she was his sister. And sometimes, when the occasion called for it, she would act as his surrogate mother. Tae used to always worry for Kaoru when she was originally orphaned, she had no family, no one to care for her. But now, with Yahiko, and even Sano who was also housed at the dojo, she no longer had need to worry over Kaoru's safety and her happiness.

"Well, hurry up if you want to finish training before dark!" Kaoru called back to her apprentice who was once again, lagging behind. She then waved goodbye to her friends at the Akabeko, "Bye Tae-san, Tsubame-chan! I'll see you later!"

"Bye, Kaoru-san! Bye, Yahiko-chan" Tsubame piped up and waved her hand wildly through the air then set back to work. Yahiko seemingly didn't mind, or paid no heed to when Tsubame called him 'chan'.

* * *

"Katsura-san?" 

"Hm?"

Now that his orders were given he assumed no one would dare listen in so he felt he could speak more openly with his commander, something he rarely did.

"I understand who this girl, Kamiya, is. But, what does she have to do with us?" Though Battousai was Battousai, he was still a boy and his curiosity was still awake within him. So he simply felt the need to understand. "What does a mere _woman_ have to do with us? Why is she so valuable?"

"Himura, what you have yet to understand is that some are born with the natural potential to achieve…," Katsura seemed to ponder the right word to use. "…greatness. A very few some who are like you. You don't understand this because most of the people in your young life were also among those special few. But, Kamiya has an incredible amount of potential that has yet to be unleashed. And I intend to exploit that potential. And that is why you must bring her here before anything can begin."

Though he still didn't entirely understand, that seemed reason enough for him. But, from what he could comprehend of what Katsura was telling him it wasn't good. And had he been anyone else he would have felt pity for the girl, after all who could understand better than him what she would be going through. But, alas he was no one else, he was Battousai and Battousai he would remain, even if it killed him. And so he could feel no pity, no sorrow, nor any kind of compassion or other emotion toward the girl. That was how it should be, though.

"You understand better than anyone, Himura, that sacrifices have to be made in order to create a better world. And this is one of those many sacrifices, perhaps even more so than you other assignments," Katsura despised doing this, but he had to in order to make a more peaceful era.

It was times like these, more than any other, which he regretted the decisions he made during his life. But, he couldn't turn back time, no matter how much he'd like to. And like others, he was sure he would one day regret the decision made about the Kamiya girl. But, this era and their cause called for sacrifices. Himura and Kaoru were no exception

* * *

To be continued… 

Author's note: So what do you think? Any good? I'm going to continue it anyway, even if its not. But don't forget to review! (Trust me, reviews are much appreciated). Anyway, I love you all! Buh-bye! -

**P.S.(please read): **If anyone who has read and likes the Harry Potter books I highly suggest you to go read a Harry Potter fic by my friend **Onyx Dawn,** her story is titled **Guilty as the Arctic Winds**, it's really good and she is an awesome writer but no one reads her stuff. So just a suggestion you guys might like! -

Once again Buh-bye! - -


	2. Into the Dragon's Lair

**The Assassin's Curse**

**Author's Note: **Hello! It's me again! - I just wanted to thank all of my faithful reviewers! I love you all! I wasn't even sure I was going to get reviews for my first chapter, but you all proved me wrong! Thank you so much for all of your suggestions, they really helped me write this chapter. Well I hope you enjoy this as much as the first! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I, once again, don't own Rurouni Kenshin. It rightly belongs to the great author Nobuhiro Watsuki.

**Into the Dragon's Lair**

"Now, I want you to lunge for my shoulder, I'm going to try and block it, and then I want you to move your attack to the opposite side," Kaoru instructed as beads of sweat rolled off her brow.

Since she and Yahiko had missed a practice earlier that week she had doubled their training for today. The sun was nearly down and they had been working since noon with Sano coming in to check on them every once in a while. Though Kaoru was perspiring a great deal from practice, she wasn't nearly as bad as Yahiko who's clothes were stained and soiled by his body's own reaction to the workout. His tongue was partially dangling from his mouth and his stance was weakened due to exhaustion though he still maintained that undying fury in his eyes. Yahiko was still building his endurance, but he wouldn't give up that easily, it wasn't in his character.

As Kaoru had commanded him to do he lunged in one swift motion for her right shoulder. When he saw her movement to block he swung his blade to the left and nearly hit when he felt something solid connect with his abdomen. The unexpected attack combined with his weariness caused him to collapse to the floor. Kaoru ambled over to her bruised apprentice, made sure her attack hadn't damaged him to much, then she knelt down to help him to his feet.

"You almost had it perfect that time. Your offense was precise. But when you move your attack you have got to remember to keep your weapon low so to keep yourself protected from counterattacks like that," she advised referring to her charge.

Yahiko, having the air knocked out of him, could do nothing but nod his acknowledgment to her, showing he understood.

"But, overall that was much better than when you first tried that. We'll continue on that next practice. Assuming, of course, you won't skip," she winked, knowing after this session he wouldn't dare skip without asking to again.

He just glared his response to her, the fire still in his stubborn eyes, and he muttered, "You really _are_ evil to me."

"It's only 'cause I love you so much, Yahiko-_chan_," she emphasized the 'chan' just to push his buttons.

"Hey, you two almost done out there? Sun's goin' down," Sano reminded from his spot by the wall.

"Hai, we just finished in here. Yahiko, we'll practice again tomorrow so we can perfect that attack," Kaoru turned to her trainee and he took that as her signal for him to go to bed.

"Fine," he grunted and wearily walked out of the training hall not bothering to slide the shoji shut.

"Hey, Jou-chan, I'm going to bed, too," Sano added as he also stalked out of the practice area.

Kaoru now left alone in the hall scanned the empty room with her tired gaze. She walked toward the opening, stepped out and slid the shoji shut. When she turned around to move toward the living section of the dojo she halted herself. She found herself inspecting the foliage she had come to face with when she turned. She had a sudden uncanny sense that she was being watched. She hadn't detected it before, but now she could feel an eerie gaze lurking upon her slumped form. Although her mind told her otherwise, her heart and feet would not listen.

Kaoru took a cautious step forward toward the dense trees and bushes that bordered the perimeter. Gradually her unsure steps quickened till she was halted at the edge of the brush. She stretched her arm out and reached with her fingers when a gentle breeze picked up and woke her from her trance. She shook her head and blinked her starlit eyes a few times and her mind regained control over her body. She remembered what she was doing originally as she stepped back and ushered her feet to carry her back to her house.

She went over to the bath in her house finding water in it which she assumed Sano put there for her. Though warm when it was first put in it was now chilled from sitting there awhile. Kaoru didn't mind, nor did she have the strength or patience to go heat it up again. She shed her soiled clothing and slipped into the cool water as she cleared her mind of any and all previous thoughts.

* * *

The amber-eyed boy hidden in the bushes heaved a noiseless sigh of ease as he eyed the girl's retreating figure. Though he was an assassin feared by all men and was used to lurking in shadows at night, he was not used to being caught. And he had almost been caught just now, and by a mere woman of all things. He wasn't sure how she could've detected his presence from within the dense foliage, but she had. To calm his mind he assumed it was just by curious instinct. 

Battousai had been looming in the shadows of the trees for some time now. Watching and studying his target to be sure she was the correct girl. While watching his mind hadn't consciously registered it but his subconscious did. The girl was surprisingly beautiful, with ebony hair darker than any night he'd witnessed and stunning sapphire eyes. And he knew that underneath her attire were well-toned muscles from years of training in sword arts. Had his conscious mind noticed this he probably would have run himself through with his short sword on the spot. Battousai did not allow that kind of attraction, nor any emotion at all for that matter, into his life.

But right now he had a mission to complete and the time to fulfill it was nearly at hand.

* * *

When Kaoru was done bathing she just put on a fresh gi and a clean pair of hakamas. She couldn't find her sleeping yukata and assumed it needed to be washed. She was really lagging behind on the laundry she thought to herself as she walked out of her room and down the hall to check on Sano and Yahiko. And to her benefit she found them both in a deep slumber. She smiled shyly to herself at the thought. Who would've ever imagined this would have become her family. 

She silently tip-toed back to her own room and pulled the shoji opened. She laid down in her comfortable and desired futon and pulled the soft, gentle blanket over her form and fell into a fitful sleep.

What was probably in actual hour and a half seemed like minutes to Kaoru as she abruptly woke up thrashing at the covers with sweat dripping down her face, eyes wide with terror. She couldn't recall what she had dreamt and, by surveying her trashed surroundings, she wasn't sure she wanted to. Her blankets appeared to have been violently thrown off her and were now mutilated and in a heap by the corner. Her clothes were tightly twisted around her body, her hair was sprawled all over her face and pillow. It looked as though a battle had been raged here in her room.

Her ragged breathing began to steadily slow as she gathered her bearings. She figured it would be best if she go outside to calm her nerves with the fresh air. She hastily pulled her hair into her traditional ponytail and tied it with an elastic.

She crept out of her room and then made her way to the porch, still dressed in a day's attire. She stood on there silently, the cool breeze brushing through her raven hair as it slightly rumpled her clothes. It was chilly, but it felt comforting on her sweating skin.

She hugged her arms to her chest and breathed in the night air.

"Hmmm…"she hummed peacefully standing there.

Then she felt it. She'd forgotten about it up till now. Another presence, she felt it creeping closer. She prayed dearly that it was just an animal. Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes now open and alert she snaked around the corner of the porch and into the shadows. She moved along the wall till she reached the foliage where she'd previously felt the presence. She couldn't sense ki, but sometimes it did seem like she had a sixth sense.

Kaoru inched closer to the edge of the woods, and then she halted abruptly only to come face to face with piercing amber orbs, glowing in the light of the moon.

* * *

Battousai eyed her wary steps as she approached his hiding place and he figure it as good a time as any to make his move. In one swift motion he appeared before her as he bore deep into her stunned eyes. 

He twisted his arm under her shoulder and then over her mouth to stifle her screams. She wriggled violently in his grasp. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a folded cloth with he knew would knock her unconscious. Katsura had told him to force her to breath in the odorless fumes and she would sleep.

And so, with his free arm he brought the cloth up to her nose.

* * *

As soon as her vision captured the sight of the white cloth, she knew what he was planning to do. 'He doesn't intend to kill me, he's trying to kidnap me!' She thought frantically of a way to get herself out of this tangle. She wouldn't let herself go down that easily. 

Kaoru kicked out her leg and managed to catch him off guard and knock the man to his feet. She didn't even think of turning around to see if the man was down for good. She followed her instincts and she scrambled to her feet and just ran. But, before she knew what happened she was once again in the grip of her assailant.

* * *

Battousai was enraged, that girl had managed to catch him by surprise, something that rarely happened. Faster than the eye could see he was to his feet chasing after her. And in less than a moment she once again was a captive. 

He wasted no time in administering the poison. He once again raised his hand to her nose and held the cloth there as she struggled to overcome her attacker. She wrestled there for a few moments longer, but gradually the poison took effect and her violent thrashing came to a stop as she fell limply into his arms.

Now all he had to do was get back to headquarters before dawn with the girl intact. He hauled her away from the dojo, away from her home, to a carriage waiting for them on the outskirts of the city. If he were anyone else he would not have been able to make it that far with another person in the dead of night. But, he was Battousai, so he was capable of such tasks. They reached the carriage where a driver already awaited there with the door ajar. Battousai dragged her into the carriage and set her on the seat across from where he sat down.

With them inside the driver clicked the door shut and then rode off, away from anything Kaoru had ever known.

* * *

Hours went by and Kaoru's eyelids began to lift open slowly and bring her back to conciousness. The first thing she noticed was the darkness which still lingered telling her she hadn't been out so long that days had past. The second thing that registered in her mind was that she didn't know where the hell she was. She began to panic and then the previous events of night came flooding back into her head. And slowly her nerves began to calm until they were back to normal, or at least as normal as they can be in situations like these. 

When her eyes were nearly fully adapted to the shadows she noticed the man sitting across from her, her kidnapper, his katana resting across his shoulder. The only thing that she caught sight of earlier that night were his eyes, his golden, glowing eyes. So she had no idea what he looked like, except that he was a man, though feminine in appearence at first. And now in the darkness of night and shrouded by the shadows in the carriage she couldn't see him much better. It appeared he had long hair, though she wasn't sure what color, and he was a small man, which was deceiving to her. An opponent would try to take advantage of that, and from what she witnessed and felt that evening, he was much stronger than he first appeared. 'Just goes to show first impressions aren't always true.' Kaoru snorted at the thought.

As she studied him she noted he appeared to be sleeping. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even. Kaoru stretched out her hand and sealed the gap between them as she brushed a strand of his hair away from his face. As soon as her fingers made contact she felt a strong grip on her wrist and forcefully pushing her hand back to her.

"What were you doing?" Her kidnapper hissed, breaking the silence of the night.

"Uh-um," Kaoru stuttered.

"Well?" He demanded.

"Um, I don't know," Kaoru withdrew, embarrassed and taken aback.

"Well, don't do it again," he commanded.

"And who are you to instruct me what to do? You kidnapped me!" She barked back, feeling the fire rise up in her.

"And that gives me every reason to command you," he countered, his mind gawking at her idiocy in the situation.

"And if I don't listen?" Kaoru shot back, stubbornness engraved in her eyes.

"Then you will be forced to," he smirked in the darkness at her obstinance.

"Yeah right," she grumbled under her breath. He pretended not to here her.

There was an uncomfortable stillness between them. This time it was Kaoru's turn to break it.

"Who are you?" Kaoru inquired.

Battousai had expected this question, but he didn't expect it so soon, so his face gave an expression of mild surprise. But, he decided he'd better answer her question now or she'd probably continue asking, "Battousai."

At Kaoru's sudden intake of breath he assumed his answer caught her a bit unprepared.

"Ba-Battousai," she whispered, just barely audible. She'd heard of the rumors of him before, and it stunned her. Though she wasn't scared, or at least not _too_ scared.

Battousai was used to hearing these kinds of reactions by now, from comrades or rumors. And so he asked her, "Are you scared?"

"No," came her plain, blunt reply, no fear evident in her voice.

'No?' That actually shocked him to some extent. His entire life he knew his name to strike fear into people's hearts. But not this girl, no, this girl was different than the rest.

"So I ask again: What's your name? Battousai is a warrior name if I'm not mistaken," Kaoru repeated more confidently than she felt. He frightened her to a point, but she wouldn't let him know that.

"That's not important," he responded, his voice not once changing its pitch or tone.

"Alright then, if you won't answer that then at least tell me why I'm here. Tell me why you kidnapped me," she demanded irritably.

This was more the type of question he expected her to ask and so he was prepared, "You'll find out soon enough. So don't pry."

"I've just been abducted and you expect me not to pry about why that is," Kaoru stated rather than asking, gawking at his stupidity in the situation. After all what kind of captive wouldn't want to know why they were stolen from their home.

"Like I said, you'll find out soon enough," Battousai sat, gazing into the distance.

"Okay fine, then tell me who hired you," she directed.

"You'll meet him in due time," he answered once again.

"Ugh! Are you just going to keep dodging all of my questions with you indifferent answer!" Kaoru asked huffily.

He couldn't help but smirk in the darkness at her impatience with him, of all people.

"No," came his simple reply.

"You're impossible," she murmured to herself.

And with that as last words the rest of the flight was spent in utter silence.

'That was so weird,' Kaoru's mind wandered. 'That could've almost been a normal conversation, despite the fact that it was with my kidnapper. Why do I feel so unafraid around him? And he's Battousai!' As though she just realized what she'd done her mouth made the motion of a silent gasp. 'Battousai! I just argued with Battousai! I might as well just seal my death contract!' She thought sarcastically. She knew this wasn't right she knew that she should try to escape or something but it just didn't feel right and she didn't know why.

From behind the curtain cover of carriage window that shielded them from the outside world Kaoru noted that light began to pour over the horizon. The curtains, however, still kept the carriage dark. Though Kaoru knew it was dawn, the sun was rising. Then abruptly, the carriage came to a halt.

Suddenly, everything seemed to slow, almost as if time had stopped. She could hear the incredible pounding of her heart in her chest. The driver's footsteps as he strode over to the carriage door echoed in her eardrums. She could feel her breathing become raspy. The sounds of the door opening drummed against her soul. Sunlight spilt through the doorway illuminating the dim carriage and blinding Kaoru in the process. She was more petrified now than she had ever been in her life before. For beyond the light awaited her fate.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Well, I really hoped you liked that! I know it probably wasn't as good as the first chapter, but hey I had to get her kidnapped sooner or later. And I promise the next chapters will be better. Once again I'd like to thank all of my reviewers(you guys were my first ever): 

**Kean:** Thank you so much for the suggestion, I couldn't remember how to spell 'no' in Japanese, so thank you so much for pointing that out! - You're awesome!

**Bradybunch4529:** I feel loved! You're review was so great and I'm so glad you like the story, I'm sorry this chapter didn't have many twists. But I promise there will be some in chapters to come. You're too good to me! - Thank you so much!

**gabyhyatt:** I'm so happy you took the time to review my story, not many people do that anymore, thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I dearly pray you will enjoy the next! - You're great!

**Onyx Dawn:** I love you! (in a sister/best friend sort of way) Thank you so much for your suggestions, all of them. Every author can use some constructive criticism. I tried to use fewer commas when they're not needed, I hoped you noticed! And I apologize for the cliché, but sometimes it can't be helped! - You are so faithful, thank you!

To all my reviewers, you guys are so wonderful to me. And I will try my best to keep you satisfied! - Well, until next time! Buh-bye!

**P.S.** I know I've asked this before but...if there is anyone out there who's read the Harry Potter books and likes them I suggest you read a fic by my friend **Onyx Dawn** titled **Guilty as the Arctic Winds**. It is really good but no one is reading it so I hope maybe some of you who read this will also read hers! Arigatou! -

Once again, Buh-bye! - -


	3. The Legend Begins

**The Assassin's Curse**

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! It's me again! I got reviews for chapter 2! I feel loved! And now, no matter how few reviews I get I am going to continue writing it for the few who read it (I love you all). I know last chapter wasn't the greatest, but it was perhaps one of the most important parts so it had to be done. Well, I hope you all like this chapter!

**Anonymous Reviewer: **I don't know who you are, but I know you don't like my story all that much. I am glad though that you can tell me your opinion. But next time you send a flame please tell me why you don't like my story or perhaps what's wrong with my writing if you will because maybe it will help me to improve. And if you have no reason for not liking my story than that was an invalid accusation you sent me. And next time please sign your reviews with your real penname because when you don't it presents you as a coward (or at least that's what it made me think when I saw no name and no reason as to why 'I suck'). But, please, add more to your reviews if you're criticizing someone's work. Thank you!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own (sadly) Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters. They rightfully and respectfully belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Now on with chapter three! -

**The Legend Begins**

As Kaoru's vision gradually became accustomed to the sun's powerful rays she noticed people. There were people there and, maybe it was her imagination, but their eyes seemed to be fixed upon her. It looked as though they'd been waiting there for awhile. Their weary eyes showing a lack of sleep, yet now they seemed to be alert. Kaoru shifted her gaze to the ground when their hopeful stares grew uncomfortable. She didn't detect it when a young boy, no older than eleven years, came to a halt in front of herself and Battousai who now stood beside her.

"Battousai, sir," the lad started. "H-he is waiting inside for you."

Battousai merely nodded his acknowledgement as he took a firm, almost painful grip on Kaoru's wrist and led her through the throng of people as her Judas goat. Kaoru, at the moment, didn't have the will to resist as she focused all her strength on staying calm and keeping her breathing steady.

After finally gaining hold of herself she diverted her eyes from the ground and stared past the assembled men, keeping her head high to conceal her fear. Defiance once again flooded her eyes as she twisted out of Battousai's grasp and fell into step slightly behind him, walking on her own. He wasn't going to lead her like a sheep to her death.

Battousai, under normal circumstances, would have slapped her for challenging him. However, these weren't normal circumstances. So he let her have her moment of glory.

They left the crowd of people there, staring after them as they approached their destination. A western styled inn, it appeared to be. It had square curtained windows with mahogany shutters, the outside walls were painted a brick colour accented by russet, hinged doors. Battousai rapped, three times, on what was most likely the front door. After waiting in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments the door opened a crack as a middle-aged woman peeked through the crevice in the entrance. The woman, after seemingly recognizing her visitors, swung the door open all the way then ushered Battousai and Kaoru into the warm confines of the inn, closing the entrance once immediately after.

"Finally, I was wondering when you'd be here. You're late. He's been up since before dawn, pacing his room and pestering me about you," The woman spoke at last, scolding Battousai as a mother would a son. "So don't let it happen again, it makes us all suffer,"

She added with slight sarcasm.

This left Kaoru standing there shocked, she would've never imagined anyone would talk so…_normal_… to him. What stunned Kaoru even more was that he responded to the peeved woman.

"Gomen, Okami, won't happen again," Battousai mumbled as though ashamed. This woman actually _humbled_ him it appeared.

"Good, now go on in. He's waiting for you, let's not make him wait any longer," she finalized and pointed them down a narrow hallway to the room where _he_ was waiting.

Battousai immediately set off down the directed hall at a brisk pace not bothering to inform Kaoru to do the same. After a few moments the woman Okami urged a dumbfounded Kaoru forward, signaling her to follow Battousai. And so Kaoru did.

When she had finally caught up to Battousai he stood at the door of the assumed room patiently. Then a man opened the door just enough to allow the two to enter.

"You're late," they were once again informed, this time by the man who was apparently the _him_ Okami had been talking about.

Kaoru couldn't see_ him_ clearly. He was blanketed by the shadows of the ill-illuminated room. She could only make out his silhouetted form stalk toward the room's one window. The curtains covered the window, shielding the room from any outside light. But, he drew back the blinding, allowing the brilliant rays of the early sun to enter.

Now Kaoru could see his face. He was a younger man, no more than forty ifs even that, though he appeared to be aged somehow. She wasn't sure what it was, but she could recognize it in his eyes. It was the same look her father carried in his eyes the months before he was sent back to war and killed. He was a lean man with a commanding aura so Kaoru assumed he was in a position of high authority.

"Kamiya Kaoru, I presume," his voice softened when he spoke to her.

"Hai, and you are?" Kaoru prodded.

"Katsura Kogoro, there is nothing more about me that you need to know, especially at this time," he informed. Kaoru thought she'd heard his name, she just couldn't pinpoint from where.

"Can I know why I'm here?" She popped her long thought of question.

"_That_ you will find out soon enough," came his simple response that she'd definitely heard before. Katsura then began his interrogation, "Now, it's my turn to ask you a few questions. First, is it not correct that you're adept in the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu style of swordsmanship?"

"Hai, that's right," she figured it no use to resist any of his questions, seeing how most of them he probably already knew.

"You're father developed it, right?" He continued his examination.

"Hai."

"And now you're the sole instructor?" Katsura's eyes bore into her as though seeking all her secrets.

"Hai, which leads me to wonder…why did you kidnap me? I am worth nothing to you, nor do I own anything of value. So what do you need me for?" Kaoru puzzled, slightly to herself and partially to Katsura.

"On the contrary, you will soon find out that you do have something of great value to me," He most definitely had a purpose for her, though she wouldn't know what that purpose would be for awhile. After a few moments of deafening silence Katsura once again began to quiz Kaoru, "Have you ever trained in another style?"

"Iie," she admitted truthfully. She'd only ever trained in Kamiya Kasshin and she'd spent the last four years of her life trying to complete and perfect the style.

"Well, that will all change soon." Katsura then began to convey his plot, "Starting tomorrow, at noon, you will receive your first instructions in the art of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu."

"What? Excuse me, but I will not learn a style that goes against all of my beliefs and teachings," Kaoru retorted tartly.

"You don't have much of a choice, now do you," he insisted.

Born with a stubborn nature, Kaoru was not one to be broken. "I am a grown woman with a free will and you cannot command me what to do if I don't agree to it," she hissed to the older man.

"Even a grown woman doesn't have a free will," he reminded.

"_I _do!" Kaoru shot back maliciously.

Her sudden outburst forced the room into a tense silence, until once again Katsura took the initiative to speak, "Miss Kamiya, perhaps your spirit has a free will, but you are my prisoner, you have little choice in any matter, much less in what happens to you."

"How do expect me to forget everything that's been taught to me since my birth? How do you expect me to abandon all of my principles? Everything I've known, how?" Kaoru stood there flabbergasted by his gull to impose such an incredible and, for her, such an unforgivable request.

Katsura stood there for a moment, seeming to ponder her simple, yet deep question, "I expected you to forget what you were taught when you were kidnapped from everything and anything you've ever known. When you came here everything from your former life has been forgotten because you now belong to us."

Kaoru contemplated over what he'd said for a long time when she finally consented, "You can, perhaps, teach me your sword method used to kill and I've no doubt you will. However, you can't force me to use it. I don't know why you'd want me to learn such a despicable style of swordsmanship, though I don't think I can stop you from doing so. I promise you though, I will _never, ever_ use it to harm someone. No one will ever die by my hand. And there is _nothing _you can do about that."

Kaoru's voice was low and haunting, her usually stubborn eyes were filled with malice and loathing. There was a fire in there, stronger than any that Battousai had ever seen in the little time he'd stared into their starry depths. And for a moment, just a moment, he truly believed that her will and spirit was one that would never be broken, by anyone.

Even Katsura seemed to be shaken, only somewhat, by her declaration of independence. And that was not something that happened often. But, in the end he knew her spirit would break, just like the one before her. And he also knew he would live to regret it, but it had to be done, for the sake of their long fought cause.

The long, intense silence was once again filled with the aged voice of the commander, "Think what you may, Miss Kamiya, but don't make promises you can't keep."

"Trust me, I'm not one to go back on my word," Kaoru still had that same fire, that same determination, though now it was much more calm.

"Anyway, since you will be learning Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu you'll need an instructor," Katsura once again settled down to business. He continued saying, "And I've already decided on who will be teaching you."

"And who might that someone be?" She inquired.

"Why, none other than Hitokiri Battousai, of course," he stated it as though it was the most obvious thing on earth.

"Wha-!" Battousai who, up till now, had been silent as the grave finally spoke, "Sir…Katsura-san, I can't teach her!"

"You can and you will, Himura," Katsura directed his gaze to Battousai.

"B-but, he can't teach me!" Kaoru stammered, dumbstruck.

"I see no reason why not," Katsura simplified.

"He kidnapped me!" Kaoru gasped the obvious.

"All the more reason for _him_ to train you," he concluded.

"Um- uh…b-bu," Her protests were silenced by her loss of words.

Katsura turned to Battousai as though expecting more protests and resistance, but to his amazement, Battousai seemed to be more at a loss of words than Kaoru. Katsura smirked triumphantly and summed up, "Now that that's taken care of- Megumi!"

On cue a young, fox-like woman sauntered into the room, Kaoru guessed she'd been waiting outside the door the whole time. She was dressed in the medical attire of the day, her waist-length ebony hair flowed freely to the rhythm of her steps. Her blue eyes giggled with mischief and deviltry. She came to a halt just a step behind Kaoru.

"Yes, Katsura-san?" The woman Kaoru rightfully assumed to be Megumi asked.

"Could you take Miss Kamiya to where she'll be sleeping," he instructed rather than asking.

"Of course," Megumi interpreted whom it was he was talking about: Kaoru.

Megumi stepped towards Kaoru and took hold of her wrist and tugged at it, signaling for her to follow. Kaoru, confused at first, finally understood and followed Megumi toward the ajar door. However, before she left the room she shot a fatal glare to the two people sheloathed most in the world: her kidnapper and his commander.

* * *

When Megumi had shut the door behind her she released Kaoru's wrist and led her in silence down the hall. After they had made a right turn around a corner Megumi finally spoke up. 

"So, you're Kamiya Kaoru, huh?" It was a bit awkward with this young girl Megumi had to admit, but she might as well get to know her, after all they'd be sharing a room.

"Hai, and you're obviously Megumi," Kaoru figured.

"Tekani Megumi, medical officer for the Isshin Shisshi," Megumi stuffed her nose in the air as though accenting how proud she was to be a medical officer.

"The Isshin Shisshi patriots. That's who kidnapped me!" Realization dawned on Kaoru.

"You didn't know that?" Megumi asked feeling a little stupid for giving away information that Katsura-san might want to have kept classified.

"Iie, he never told me. He only told me his name," Kaoru said referring to Katsura.

"Oh…well…I guess you would have found out sooner or later anyway," Megumi surmised.

"So what dungeon has been set up for me?" Kaoru said, a bit sarcastically and a bit seriously. She couldn't help but like this Megumi, even if she worked for those who kidnapped her, she did good work.

Megumi gave a fox-like 'Oh-ho-ho' laugh and turned around to Kaoru to wave away her comment, "No dungeon, sweetie, you'll be sharing a room with me and another girl, you'll meet her later."

Megumi unusual laughter still echoed in Kaoru's ears, it was kind of creepy. But that's all right, it was a good kind of creepy. They continued their small talk until Megumi stopped them in front of a small door, western-style, with hinges, just like the rest of the inn.

"We're here," Megumi sang as she brought forth a small, delicate key and slid it into the lock and turned.

Kaoru heard the click of the lock followed by the slight hollow creaking in the door hinges. It was an eerie sound to Kaoru, but she quickly forgot about that as soon as she laid eyes on the room's interior.

It, like everything else, was modernized and western, though it was filled with many Japanese furnishings. With the traditional futons and old-fashioned oil lamps, even candles. There were three futons, each in a corner, only one appeared to have been slept in. It was orderly, as though it'd just been cleaned a little while ago. In an odd sense it reminded Kaoru a little of her own room, only not quite as empty as her own.

However, Kaoru's favorite part of the room was that it faced east and there were two open windows with only small curtain for cold nights. Due to its direction and its two windows the room was illuminated with the beautiful shine of the early sun. No corner of the room remained blanketed by the shadows. Kaoru was even able to hear the chirp of a lone bird and feel a soft breeze delicately brush over her face; she could even smell the scent of the outside air. She almost forgot that she was a prisoner of a feared man and his even more feared assassin.

Kaoru, overwhelmed by the sense of freedom, forgot where she was and rushed to the window's sill and gazed out at the still rising sun. This would be Kaoru's beacon of hope amidst the dark days.

Megumi stared at the young girl, she could only imagine what Kaoru was going through. So when Kaoru rushed to the window Megumi didn't stop her. She needed some hope to help her hold on through what would be coming for her. Megumi was one of the few people who knew what they were scheming to do to this girl. She knew what a terrible fate awaited her because of what lay dormant in her. Megumi's thoughts troubled her, though she'd only known Kaoru mere minutes she'd already grown fond of the girl. She reminded her of herself (well at least in some ways). She knew that there was nothing she could do to stop Katsura now, and it was times like these that she felt great remorse for backing him. Deciding to think of this later she abandoned her thoughts and strode over to the window to join Kaoru.

* * *

"Katsura-san?" Battousai began when he was sure the women were out of hearing range. 

"Hm?"

"Why did you choose me to train her?" He'd wondered about this since he'd known Katsura's decision and he was hoping to avoid it.

"I chose you, Himura, because you're are one of the few who know that style, and of the few you are the best. My only other option was your master. And you know just as well as I do that he wouldn't be all that eager to aid us," Katsura reminded.

"Still, I am _not _looking forward to this, that is something I will say," this was one time Battousai wasn't afraid to show how he felt about the situation, at least to Katsura.

"I know she seems impossible, but given time everything will turn out as it should," Katsura grew to regret his decision about the Kamiya girl more and more as he thought about it.

"What are you planning, Katsura-san? What value does she pose to us? Why do we need her?" These questions had been haunting him since he first received his mission orders.

Katsura heaved a heavy sigh and gave Battousai the same answer he'd given Kamiya, "You'll learn in due time. Soon enough you'll know our purpose for her."

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Note:** So what do you think? There were some parts of this chapter I really liked and there were others that really weren't so great. I know there wasn't much action here, but much of the action comes in later chapters. Well, please read and review! I love all my reviewers! It would be much appreciated, trust me! - 

**Ostrich-sandwich:** Thank you so much for reviewing! Yes, I know a lot of RK stories are kidnapping, but hey if done right it makes a great story! Thank you so much for the compliment and I hope you liked chapter 3! You're too great! -

**cheza person: **Thank you so much for you support and encouragement! It really made me feel loved! The person who sent the flame really didn't do much damage to me. It hurt him more than me I think. But, thank you so much! I love you so much! It always helps when someone gives their encouragement! Oh, and I'm really glad you like the story! I hope you liked chapter 3! And if not I'll try to do better! Thankee so much again! You're really awesome! -

**Onyx Dawn:** Thank you so much for your support and I am really glad you liked the chapter, I know it wasn't my best. Well, I really hoped you liked chapter 3! P.S. You need to update your story! It seems like forever since you last updated! But, ya know I love ya (in a sister/best friend sort of way)! You're wonderful (and you'd be even more wonderful if you updated soon)! Love ya! -

**ShirubaNeko:** Thank you so much for reviewing! I feel loved! And, yes, I know, sadly I need a beta reader. But, hey maybe you could beta read chapter four! Please, and if you're too busy with Onyx Dawn's story ahem she must update ahem then that's okay! I'll just get her to beta read it! Once again: Thankee so much! LYLAS! -

**Cheese lover:** I'm sooooooooo happy you reviewed! My little sister loves me! I feel so loved! I love you! I love you! I love you! And I'll put a cliffy in the next chapter just for you! I love you (in a big sister sort of way of course) Buh-bye! -

Well I'm so glad I got reviews! And to everyone: Thank you so much for your support and encouragement when somebody sent me a flame! But, hey, that's all right, nearly everyone gets a couple! Well, I got to go, so remember to read and review! (Reviews are very much appreciated) I love you all! Buh-bye! -

**P.S.** To anyone who likes Harry Potter you might like to read **Onyx Dawn** 's story titled **Guilty as the Arctic Winds. **It's really good, but no one's read it! So I suggest that as a good fic to read! -

Once again, Buh-bye! - -


	4. Those Shattered Ambers

**The Assassin's Curse**

**Author's Note:** I'm so grateful to all of my reviewers! I love you all so much! And thank you so much for your support and encouragement when that person sent me the flame! It really did help; after all whenever someone says something like that it always hurts a little. So once again thank you all for your support! I hoped you all liked last chapter, it wasn't my best and it wasn't my worst, thank you all for your suggestions as well. This is my first fic so obviously I'll need suggestions to help me improve! Once again thank you all and I hope you like chapter four! -

**Disclaimer:** The anime Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me (sad as it is) nor do any of its characters, they rightfully belong to the great author Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Now, here's chapter 4! (I hope you like)

**Those Shattered Ambers**

_There was fire. A growing fire all around, eating everything in its path. It engulfed homes and people alike, never distinguishing the difference. The only thing that filled Kaoru's ears were the horrified screams and shouts of men, women, and children who hastened to escape the fire's wrath. And to her the most distinctive scream of all belonged to her mother. Kaoru' s home was burning with her mother trapped inside. In moments it would probably be nothing more than rubble._

_Kaoru could only find comfort in knowing her father still lived. Though she couldn't find him amongst the panicked crowd she had seen him emerge from the house. He was still alive._

_Kaoru shrieked when she saw the roof of her former home cave in as it shot out sparks and flaming debris. Her home that still had her mother and seven others trapped. Kaoru wasn't alone in her tears and screams. Other families had loved ones caught inside as well._

_Gradually the fire began to die as more people helped to put it out. When finally the embers were extinguished and what used to be a house lay in ruin, rescuers and concerned people ventured inside to scout for survivors. Kaoru watched in anticipation as one by one rescuers hobbled out of the rubble carrying blackened and burnt victims whose ashen faces were stricken with terror. Each time someone emerged who was not her mother Kaoru's heart would sink lower into the depths of despair._

_Kaoru watched the grave faces of the rescuers as they huddled together and uttered those dreaded few words "There's no more left alive." When those words came so did the tears. And for the first time in her life Kaoru felt detached from her body, she couldn't control herself. She didn't feel the tears flood down her face, she couldn't feel the excruciating pain from her burnt shoulder, she couldn't smell the stench of rotting flesh, and she couldn't hear as her own shrieks erupted from her mouth. Though many people tried to console the grief-stricken child, no one could. Now all she wished to do was dwell in her own suffering._

_The more people came to calm her the more she knocked them away. She thought she'd pushed everyone away when strong, rough hands grabbed hold of both her arms and spun her around. She was prepared to knock this man away too. She opened her eyes to do just that and was met with a piercing gaze. She tried to look away, she tried to escape it, but it fastened her where she stood._

_His eyes were terrifying; beautiful, but terrifying. And as much as they were terrifying they were even more mesmerizing. The last things Kaoru remembered were those terrifying, mesmerizing amber eyes._

* * *

Kaoru awoke, not knowing where she was or what had happened. The more she surveyed the room the more confused she became, until she came face to face with another set of blue eyes. It slowly all flooded back into her mind when she saw Megumi; the kidnapping, Battousai, Katsura, everything. 

She scanned her surroundings, studying the crumpled sheets and the twisted covers. Everything lay strewn about the room, it was an utter mess. It almost looked like a battle had taken place. After seeing the mess through her own eyes she, once again, rested her vision on Megumi's concerned, questioning face.

"I don't want to know if you don't wan to tell me," Megumi seemed to be reading Kaoru's mind.

"Iie, that's okay, it doesn't matter. It was just a bad dream. Gomen, I woke you up," Truth be told though, not only had it been a bad dream, but it was one Kaoru had had nearly every night for the past week.

"Don't be," Megumi still sounded worried and Kaoru guessed she wasn't done, and so Megumi continued, "You scared me a little. You wouldn't stop thrashing and you were mumbling something that I couldn't understand. I mean just look at you, you're a wreck."

Not fully understanding Megumi's meaning Kaoru inspected herself. Strands of hair were sprawled all over her face and shoulders in a tangled, greasy mess. Her breathing was ragged, some saliva dripped down her lip, and sweat covered her skin like another layer. All in all she didn't look that pleasant.

"Oh…I see your meaning," Kaoru discreetly whispered.

"Uh-huh. If you want to you can tell me, I'll listen. If not I understand," Megumi sympathized, the girl didn't look like she was up to talking.

Kaoru contemplated for a moment on whether or not she should tell Megumi. After all, she was still a stranger, though she had been kind to Kaoru, she was still a stranger. But then again Megumi had shown compassion for her in the little time Kaoru had known her, and even now she seemed to respect Kaoru's privacy. 'I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell her.'

Kaoru had decided and so proceeded, "M-my mother."

Just those two words seemed to explain a lot to Megumi, she could relate to what Kaoru was feeling. "Oh…I-I-, gomen," Megumi apologized.

"Iie, iie, don't be sorry. My mother was killed in one of the Kyoto burnings, she just never made it out. It was four years ago, I was fourteen then, and I've learned to move on. But, still…it haunts me," Kaoru put on a small, sad smile trying to keep up her façade. It was true, she had moved on, she just couldn't forget, no matter how hard she tried.

"It's okay to still remember. It's like paying tribute to her, and we really never forget. I know I've never forgotten," Megumi consoled, trying to tell Kaoru that she wasn't alone in her pain. "We never _really _forget those we love."

"Hai, and arigatou," Kaoru nodded to show her appreciation.

"Yeah, but anyway, you should probably start getting ready. Katsura left a fresh pair of hakamas and a new gi for you by the door." Megumi quickly changed the subject; it wasn't good to dwell on something so sad for too long.

"Get ready? For what?" Kaoru asked stupidly as she walked to the where her training clothes awaited her.

Kaoru first unwrapped her yukata and then slipped her arms through the gi's arm holes. Megumi politely turned away thinking the girl might not want her every movement to become a spectacle to those around her.

Megumi reminded. "For your first practice with Ken-san, you baka!".

"I'm not an id- Hey wait! Who's Ken-san?" Kaoru inquired, befuddled.

"Oh…um-er, uh…Battousai. Hai, that's right! It's just so weird for me to call him that," Megumi explained a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, that…I guess you're right! I wouldn't want to miss my first practice with Battousai the Manslayer," Kaoru snapped sarcastically.

"Don't say things you might regret later. You don't know him as well as us," Megumi retorted trying her best to defend Battousai without offending Kaoru.

"I don't think I want to know him," Kaoru spat.

"There are things about him that even I don't know. And I've known him longer than anyone here. Don't judge someone unless you know exactly what you're saying," Megumi advised.

Those words seemed to embed themselves in Kaoru's mind. She was being a hypocrite. All her life she'd always told others not to judge people before they got to know them and now she was eating her own words. She sighed heavily and exited the room. Then with her last words, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to maybe try and see things through his eyes." Kaoru conceded and clicked the door shut leaving Megumi behind.

* * *

She never knew where to meet for training so now her new mission was to find Katsura and figure out where to go. She was peeking around a corner when someone laid a rough hand on her shoulder causing Kaoru to jump two feet. 

"Looking for something?" The all too familiar voice of Battousai whispered in her ear.

"Don't ever do that again! You nearly killed me!" Kaoru exclaimed ignoring his question.

Battousai simply smirked at her skittishness and said, "Follow me."

Kaoru thought it was best not to argue. After all he had been the one she was looking for originally.

Kaoru hastened a few steps behind Battousai trying to stay even with his pace. Though he was unusually short his stride was incredibly longer than Kaoru's. She couldn't fully match his steady pace, but she was close enough.

She wasn't all that sure where he was leading her, but she didn't question it until he opened a door and stepped out into clear light. He continued to walk toward wherever their destination was, Kaoru stopped dead in her tracks as she puzzled.

"Hey, why are we outside? Isn't there some sort of training hall we should go to?"

"Just keep walking," He answered and kept walking, never once turning around.

Kaoru didn't ask anything further. She jogged a bit to catch up to Battousai who was a ways ahead of her by now. Though once she reached him they resumed to their silent tread.

He had taken her through dense woods that lay on the back perimeter of the inn and led them to a clearing. Hopefully they could get more training done without so much spying from people he knew would be curious.

Kaoru, unaware they had stopped, collided with Battousai's backside and tumbling backwards. He looked behind at her and raised an eyebrow. Impossible as Kaoru thought she swore she saw a smile glance across his usually unchanging face.

"Uh-sorry," Kaoru quickly apologized.

"This is where we'll be working," Battousai conveyed.

"Don't you think this is a little far out? Won't Katsura wonder why we disappeared," Kaoru really didn't care if Katsura wondered or not, but she knew she wasn't all that comfortable being with a killer, especially when the nearest humanoid life was nearly two kilometers away.

"He won't wonder," Battousai answered then he directed, "Take your stance."

"What?" Kaoru asked, was this how he was going to start training. She didn't even know the stance!

"Your stance." Battousai demanded as he slung the equipment that they'd need later off his shoulder.

"But, I don-" Kaoru started.

"Try." He commanded.

Kaoru didn't know what to so she did as he instructed and took the basic stance of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. She eyed Battousai warily as he circled her and studied her stance. When Battousai appeared on her other side he seemed to disappear just as quickly.

Kaoru swung her head around hunting for the man; he had just seemed to vanish. Then she felt her feet lifting out from under her. She fell backwards and collided with the solid ground. For a moment she gasped for the air that had been knocked from her lungs.

"Terrible stance," Battousai said wryly.

Kaoru glanced up and saw him staring down at her as if he were anticipating something.

"Get up," He demanded impatiently.

Kaoru staggered her feet finally having gotten air back into her lungs. She glared at him fiercely, eyes never wavering. For the first time she actually got a good look at him. Before it had been too dark to notice specific features. Now she saw he was an alarmingly small, almost feminine looking man with long, scarlet hair tied in a traditional high ponytail, common among warriors. He stood just slightly taller than she did, but it was obvious to the trained eye just how strong he really was. There was a cross-like scar stretching from his left cheekbone to his chin. Out of all his odd features probably the most distinctive were his golden eyes, which were currently glowering into her own.

"I'm not sure why Katsura would want you trained so badly. You're pathetic," He spat vehemently.

"I didn't even have warning! How was I supposed to know you were going to trip me!" Kaoru hissed back furiously now that she'd been able to study him.

"You weren't. In a battle, do you honestly think your opponent would warn you when they attack? If your stance is good they'd have less of a opportunity to kill you," Battousai once again began to stealthily circle Kaoru. "Now again."

"You almost sound like me," Kaoru muttered sarcastically as she did as she was told.

"Stupid wench," Battousai mumbled back inaudibly.

He once again began to survey her noticing many flaws. He went up to her and kicked her foot a little to the left causing her wobble unsteadily.

"Hey!" Kaoru cried out in surprise and anger.

"Your foot was off. And unless you want me to do that again move you front foot back and to the right," He warned.

"Hmph,"

Kaoru adjusted her feet to his orders to prevent herself from being tripped by him again.

"Angle your hips and waist to the right," Battousai directed.

When Kaoru did not successfully angle herself Battousai walked impatiently up to her and jerked her shoulders causing her hips angle and her waist to twist properly.

"Would you stop that!" Kaoru screamed.

Battousai just ignored her and studied her now proper stance. Then in one god-like motion he ducked and swung his leg under her feet again. She tripped and was falling, but before she could hit the ground she caught herself with her back foot and her hands.

"I said to stop that!" Kaoru raged.

"You didn't hit the ground that time," Battousai pointed out ignoring her demands.

"I still fell."

"But you caught yourself because of your _better_ stance. And that's probably as good as it's going to get," Battousai smirked as he walked over to where he had laid the equipment.

Kaoru, feeling it was safe to get up, started dusting herself off.

Battousai turned around and took the weapon he'd chosen and tossed it to her.

Kaoru was startled when she heard him throw something at her and was just barely able to catch it. When she had a firm hold on it she examined it more closely. Then to confirm her suspicions she clicked the hilt from the sheath and drew the blade halfway out. Her suspicions were correct, a katana. She resheathed the blade and held it in one hand at her side.

"I'm can't use this," Kaoru murmured, eyes downcast.

"Why?" He exhaled.

"I don't use anything, save a shinai," her voice grew slightly louder.

"Then you'll learn to use it," Battousai growled back thoughtlessly.

"I _mean_ I won't use it," Kaoru declared, stubbornness inflicted upon her eyes.

"Yes you will," he contradicted.

"I'm not straying from my beliefs anymore than I already have," she announced defiantly.

"Don't think you're the only one who's had to give up some of their beliefs for the betterment of others," Battousai growled from clenched teeth as he turned to face her.

"You mean you," Kaoru stated and then went on, "Well, I didn't give up my beliefs willingly!"

"Don't be selfish!" He barked. "Nobody surrenders their beliefs willingly!"

At this point he was nearly an inch from Kaoru's nose, and for the first time she was able to actually _see_ into his eyes. And what she saw surprised her that she almost felt _pity._ His eyes weren't evil or emotionless. They were young, too young, and they were broken. They looked like someone had smashed them and another person had tried to glue them back together but the pieces would never stick. It's as though they just kept falling apart. And for the first time ever she _pitied_ this man as she gazed into his shattered ambers.

And so Kaoru relented, "Fine. Show me how to hold it."

Maybe this was what Megumi had meant.

* * *

"Sano? Sano?" The young boy panicked as he scurried to the dojo's front gates. 

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down Yahiko," Sano, the man the boy had been looking for, coaxed.

"Well? What did the police say? Did you tell them?" The boy Yahiko asked hurriedly.

"Slow down, one at a time. Yes, I told them, but I don't think they're really going to do anything about it,"

"But she's missing, Sano! Kaoru would never leave without telling us! She's been gone two days!"

"I know, I know. But like I said, I don't think they'll do anything about it, I doubt they even care," Sano spat, he hated the government which included the police. He thought of them no more than dimwitted bafoons who had been granted a position of high authority.

"Then what do we do! I want to find her! And if they're not going to do anything I think we should!" Yahiko rashly proposed.

"Ignoring the fact that that is a completely stupid idea, I'd say I have to agree with you. I think maybe you got a point, little man," Sano pondered Yahiko's suggestion for a moment.

"Does that mean we're going? We have to. Kaoru'd do the same for us!" Yahiko declared.

"You got a point there and I'm not arguin'. I say we do it your way," Sano finally decided. "The only problem, where do we start?"

"Baka! Just do it your way: look everywhere till we find her!" Yahiko snipped.

"Hey, who says that's my way," Sano muttered, then he continued, "We should probably head north, to Kyoto."

"Why Kyoto?"

"Cause a kidnapper would probably want a place to hide, right? And what better place to hide than in a large city," Sano clarified.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find Kaoru!" Yahiko concluded running past Sano and out the gates.

"Yo! Yahiko-chan! You might wanna get some money and supplies!" Sano yelled after the impatient boy.

Yahiko had forgotten about that amidst his excitement. And so he trailed back to the dojo to get his money and supplies when he stopped, "Hey! Why do I have to bring my money? You're the adult!"

"What can I say, I'm broke," Sano shrugged.

"You stinkin' free-loader!" Yahiko shouted over his shoulder as he went to get his things, using Kaoru's term for Sano.

Sano just followed Yahiko inside to help get packed. This was going to be a long trek.

Though it was finally decided, they'd save Kaoru if it was the last thing they did. And so after making last minute preparations Sano and Yahiko departed from the dojo to rescue their friend.

Their sister….

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yay! I finally have a beta reader (actually I have two)! And so many thanks to **Onyx Dawn** and **ShirubaNeko** for betaing my story. As many of you can probably tell I can't use proper grammar to save my life, and well that's all about to change. Anyway, I really hoped you all liked chapter four! I know it wasn't the best, I didn't like it all that much though there were parts that I did like how they turned out. Many thanks to all of my reviewers! You are all so supportive (not to mention helpful), and kind to me! Thank you so much! I love you all! And remember to read and review! - 

**Review Responses:**

**ShirubaNeko:** Thank you so much for all your suggestions! I tried to follow as many as I could remember (heh-sweatdrop-)! Well, I hope you like chapter four! It's finally finished! I know it took forever, but hey I'm a bit of a procrastinator! (But I'm not _that_ big of a procrastinator) Love ya! Buh-bye! -

**livworld: **I am so glad you like my story! It's always good for an author to know her stories are loved! And I finally updated! I hope you liked chapter four, and if you didn't I sincerely apologize and I'll try to do better! And once again thank you so much! P.S. Don't worry, be happy! (I love that phrase, it's one of my favorites! I liked how you put it in your review!) -

**Reignashii:** I'm happy you like my story! I finally wrote some more! I really hope you liked chapter four! If not I'll try to do better! Once again thank you so much for reviewing! And remember to review chapter four (pretty-please)! Once again thank you so much! -

**Angel of lonelyness:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm so glad you like my story! I feel loved! And don't worry I'll make sure Kaoru gives Kenshin an extremely hard time! I really hoped you like chapter four! I know it wasn't the greatest, but then again there are always chapters that aren't so great. Once again thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like it! -

**Ginny-cry:** I feel so loved! I'm so glad you like the story! I hope you liked chapter four! It wasn't my greatest, but I promise they do get better! Thanks so much! Buh-bye! -

**Jing-Jing:** Thank you so so so so much! I feel so very loved! I don't know how much I can express that! Nor do I know how I can express how thankful I am to you! Thank you! I saw you put my story on your favorites list! I'm so glad you like it! I sincerely hope you liked chapter four! If not I promise better ones will come in the future! Thanks so much! Buy-bye! -

**Bradybunch4529:** Thank you so much for your support and encouragement with that flame! As I've probably mentioned it really helps when people give their support! I really glad you like the story! Your reviews are really great, you tell me what you specifically like about my story and I thank you so much! I hope you liked chapter four! Well, buh-bye! -

**smiley:** Thank you so much for your support when somebody sent me that flame, I didn't really take it to heart but it always helps to know people care! Thank you so much! In an answer to your review: the story takes place in 1865 during the Bakumatsu so Kenshin is around 17 years old and that's why he's a little childish. Once again thank you so much I hope you liked chapter four! Buh-Bye! -

**Sorrow's Raven:** I'm so glad you like my story! And I finally updated for all my loving reviewers! I feel so loved! I really hope you liked chapter four! I know it wasn't my greatest, but I guess that's okay! P.S. I like you penname! -

**crystal: **Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm really glad you liked my story! I finally updated! I don't know when I'll finish so I can't promise. But I'll try to update as quickly as I can! Once again Thank you so much! Buh-bye! -

**Onyx Dawn: **I feel so loved! And I'm honored that you sent me your longest review ever! And yes, you are now finally betaing my story. And I finally updated! I know it took forever! I had to think of a chapter plot. But, anyway I hoped you liked chapter four! I know it wasn't my greatest, but oh well! P.S. I am reading your Aquafina, Murderess story but the review thing won't let me review! It is an awesome story and although I've never read Xanth the fic makes total sense to me! Once again it's really a great fic! Like aeriol, it left me speechless (though maybe for different reasons, I'm not sure)! Once again Thank you very much! Buh-Bye! -

Wow! I'm glad that's done! I had a lot of review responses to write! But I'm so glad you all reviewed I feel so loved! And now that this chapter is done I'm going to get right to work on chapter five! And remember all to read and review! -

* * *

**P.S.** To anyone who likes Harry Potter: I suggest you read **Guilty as the Arctic Winds** written by** Onyx Dawn**. It's an extremely well written story with an awesome plotline. You can't get much better than that! But the thing is not many people read her stuff! And all of her stories are really great, I should know I've read them all! Once again please read and review her stuff! -

* * *

Buh-Bye! - 


	5. Our BloodStained Hands

**The Assassin's Curse**

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! I know it's been forever since I've updated (or at least that's what it seems like to me). I've been in Washington D.C. on a school trip this past week and that's why I haven't updated. I hope you all liked chapter four (especially now that I use proper grammar (most of the time) thanks to my two beta readers who deserve a round of applause: **Onyx Dawn** and** ShirubaNeko**!) Also a big thanks must be given to all of my readers and reviewers! I thank you guys so much, you give me motivation for writing well! - I'm really hoping that the plot of this story will begin to thicken within the next few chapters. So keep checking, this is where the story starts to get interesting! Once again thank you all for reviewing! I feel so inspired! -

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me nor do any of its characters, only the contents of this story, all else belongs to the great author Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Now, here is chapter five! I hope you like! -

**Our Blood-Stained Hands**

_Two Weeks Later_

Kaoru ambled through the darkened hallways of the inn. She could now freely explore the premises to her heart's content, with a few exceptions. The sun had long ago set and the moon was now high, she had tried to sleep but couldn't. Sleep would not take her this night. She had a lot to think about, and no matter how hard she tried her mind just wouldn't settle.

She reflected on the events of the past two weeks in amazement. She and Battousai practiced nearly everyday from noon until when he felt they were finished. Each day had been as dreadful as the one before. The first time Kaoru had seen Battousai show any emotion had also been the last, that first day when she saw how broken he really was. Tonight he had been sent on another 'mission'; that was what Kaoru began calling his assassinations. The only thing she knew about tonight's mission was that he left with six other men. Frankly, that's all that she wanted to know about it. Kaoru wandered into the front room when her name reached her ears.

"Kaoru!"

"Oh, Megumi! What is it?" Kaoru moaned irritably.

"Why are you here? It's kind of late," Megumi whispered, not wanting to wake anyone in the inn who had found sleep.

"Couldn't get to sleep," Kaoru answered groggily. "What about you? Why are you up so late?

"Oh…well-" she started but was interrupted by a panicked voice coming from the entryway. 

"Megumi-san!"

"Usagi!" Megumi rushed over to a bloodied man- no, a bloodied boy who staggered into the inn along with numerous other men who appeared to be in equal, or worse, condition. "What happened!"

"We w-were o-out-outnumbered," Usagi whimpered as he collapsed into Megumi's arms.

Another staggering figure appeared in the doorway with an unconscious man strapped over his shoulders. "Megumi-san, it's Tsukuname, he's injured pretty badly," he said.

"Bring him over here," Megumi ordered. "Okami! Kaoru, come here. I need your help."

Kaoru did as she was instructed as another woman came flying out of nowhere. Kaoru figured it was Okami.

"Kaoru, take Usagi," Megumi said sternly, handing the now weeping boy over to Kaoru. "Okami, bring in some futons and blankets."

Okami came back just moments later bringing four futons and multiple blankets with her. She hastily laid them down in a row and set the blankets off to the side.

Kaoru immediately seized the chance to lay Usagi gently down on a nearby futon. She grabbed a spare blanket on the side to prop his head up. Likewise, Megumi and Okami began to lay the unconscious man, Tsukuname, on another futon.

"Okami, go boil water. Kaoru, go bring fresh cloth," Megumi's voice, through all the chaos, remained composed and commanding.

Kaoru followed Okami to the kitchen where she knew she would find clean cloths. She gathered up as many as she could manage and stumbled with her bulky load back out into the inn's entryway, which was now littered in bloodied men and supplies.

Kaoru walked into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. For right before her eyes was Battousai, helping a badly wounded man limp inside.

"Megumi, this is the last of them," he said and with his free hand shut the door behind him.

"Good. Lay him down there," Megumi signalled Battousai, pointing to the last unoccupied futon.

Kaoru snapped out of her daze. She hurried over to where Okami had set the boiling water and dumped the cloths beside it. Megumi was ministering to Tsukuname and Okami was aiding another man who looked almost as bad as him.

Kaoru didn't want to be pessimistic at a time like this, but Tsukuname looked like he wouldn't survive the night. There was a gaping hole in his side, blood oozing from it uncontrollably. A five-inch gash spread across his forehead, if he survived there would forever be a scar marking him. Kaoru guessed his arm was broken, for Megumi had begun to place it in a splint. He had multiple other minor injuries, cuts, and bruises; he looked almost as if someone had beaten him with club.

The man Okami was tending to was conscious, though barely. He didn't seem to be in much better condition than Tsukuname, though it appeared that he might have a chance at surviving.

Kaoru didn't need to be told to tend to Usagi and the other man, both of whom appeared to be in better condition than the other two. She chose a cloth and wet it in the scalding water then carried it back to where Usagi lay.

"Ma'am, what's your name?" Usagi asked weakly as Kaoru bent over his wounds to clean them.

"Shhh…don't talk. My name's Kaoru," she whispered softly.

He ignored her command and continued talking, "Are Tsukuname and Koji- are they going to be alright?"

Kaoru didn't answer his question. "Quiet. It's not good for you to speak," she whispered sternly, though she didn't raise her voice.

And so Usagi fell silent. The next three hours were spent like that: cleaning wounds, bandaging the injured men, and trying to calm them. In all five out of the seven men who came in were hurt. Two were crucially injured, two more only lightly. The last man only sliced his arm, a minor injury compared to the rest.

After Usagi and the other man Kaoru tended to were stable and asleep she went over to check on Megumi with Tsukuname, whose life still hung in the balance.

"Megumi, how can I help with him?" Kaoru gently asked the weary woman.

"Take a cloth and wet it with cold water. We need to calm his fever. His wounds must have gotten infected somehow," Megumi instructed as she continued to mop up the blood from his side that wouldn't cease to flow.

Kaoru immediately dashed to the kitchen and wet a cloth down with cold water to the point where it dripped. The blood on her hands permanently staining the cloth.

"Megumi?"

"Place it on his forehead. Hold it there to help the fever die down," she commanded, wiping the sweat and blood from her brow.

They stayed frozen like that for a long while until finally Megumi exhaled a sigh of defeat.

"Megumi?"

"He's dead,"

As if to be sure he was Kaoru placed her soiled hand over his cheek and found it deathly cold. A silent tear trickled down her face as she mourned the death of a man she never knew but had tried to save.

"Don't worry, Kaoru," Megumi consoled. "We tried."

Kaoru only nodded and said, "We can at least save the rest."

Megumi then pulled the blanket that lay crumpled up at Tsukuname's feet up over his head to let him finally rest.

The other men were now awake, seeing as they couldn't sleep more than a couple of hours at a time due to their wounds. Okami began aiding them in any way they may have needed it. Megumi went to check on the man whose sliced arm had been bandaged by Kaoru.

Kaoru perked her head up when she heard footsteps coming from the front hallway. They stopped just short of entering the room.

"Megumi?"

"Oh! Katsura-san," Megumi stopped what she was doing and really stood up for the first time in hours, her bones stiff and her muscles sore.

"Could I speak with you?" He then added, "In private."

"Of course." Megumi had wanted to be able to speak with him too. "Okami, could you take care of things here?"

"Hai, Megumi-san," Okami assured.

When Megumi left, Kaoru looked around the room. And for the first time since he'd come she saw Battousai. She guessed she'd known he had been there and just never noted it. Her weary legs struggled to lift her up, but they got her to her feet and carried her over to Battousai. As she drew nearer she noticed blood dripping slowly but steadily from his upper right arm. She halted just in front of him, which caused him to glance up at her with his emotionless glare.

"You're injured," Kaoru pointed out blandly.

"Just a scratch." Battousai brought his good arm up to his wound, obviously hoping Kaoru would stop pestering him.

Kaoru squatted down to where he sat on a bench against the wall. She reached out and drew his hand away from the wound only to find it stained scarlet by his own blood. "I don't think it's just a scratch. Let me see it," she ordered, never once glancing at his face.

She gently pulled his right arm out of his gi so she could examine it more closely.

And for some reason unknown to him, he didn't stop her.

Kaoru reached down beside her hip and grabbed a white cloth. She dipped it in a water bucket at her feet then brought it up to his gash, dabbing at it and wiping away the blood. He didn't wince once at the sting.

While continuing to work she began talking mildly, "How does Battousai get a wound like that?" She inquired knowingly.

He remained still, silent as stone.

"I mean, how does one such as he get cut by a sword?" Kaoru pressed.

"I can't remember; I felt no pain," Battousai answered, hoping to shut her up.

"You were trying to save them, weren't you? All of these men would have been killed if you hadn't stepped in," Kaoru said.

"Iie. During a group assassination everyone looks after themselves and themselves alone."

"Don't lie. It doesn't suit you," Kaoru advised as she began wrapping the gash.

"I'm not."

Kaoru just left it at that. She knew otherwise.

They remained silent for awhile as Kaoru finished bandaging the wound.

Then she asked, "How did you get that scar?" She reached up to the cross-like scar on his left cheek. He grabbed her hand roughly and violently jerked it from his face.

"It doesn't matter," he hissed vehemently.

"Maybe not, but it marks you," she whispered back, not once breaking eye contact.

"I can't remember how I got it. It's just a scar, it doesn't mean anything," he growled.

"You do remember, and you won't ever forget how you got it I imagine," she persisted.

"I _will _forget then," he promised.

"Don't forget, no matter how terrible the memories. Let that scar be a reminder to you. Always remember, but don't dwell on it. Learn from the past, but don't live in it. That's something we all need to do," she said firmly as she tore her hand from Battousai's grasp and laid it over his scar to emphasize her meaning.

After a few moments she took her hand from his cheek and laid it in her lap to join her other one.

She stared into his eyes for the longest time until she was sure he understood her. Then she broke the gaze and lifted herself to her feet saying, "You're done."

She then left him to tend to the other men.

Battousai sat there awhile pondering what she had said. As he got up to head for his room he glanced back at her and thought, 'This woman is going to cause me more trouble than I ever anticipated.'

* * *

"Megumi, how are the men?" Katsura inquired as he shut the door of his office. 

"I don't know. You tell me," Megumi sassed. "We have one man dead, another critically wounded, and three with minor injuries thanks to your miscalculations!"

"I know, I know. You have every right to be angry with me," Katsura said, sighing heavily. "But we have more important things to worry about."

"Like what?"

"Our spies think they finally tracked him down," Katsura answered as he walked to his desk and removed a small stack of papers from a larger pile.

"You mean…?"

"Hai, Shinomori made a report on where we think he's been all these months. Look through that and you'll understand what I mean," Katsura handed the thin stack of weather-stained papers to Megumi and then ambled over to the office's lone window.

Megumi fingered through the stack, studying the finer details and skimming the rest. After getting a general idea of the report's contents she glanced up a Katsura, whose back was turned to her. "The Shinsengumi? He's sided with them?"

"Hai. In fact, it's my opinion that it was _his_ spies who alerted the Shinsengumi of tonight's assassination. I spoke with one of our injured and he says our six assassins were ambushed, so obviously the Shinsengumi knows of some of our plans," Katsura sighed regretfully.

"Do you know what plans he knows about? Does he know about her?" Megumi gasped anxiously.

"Who, Kamiya? I don't think he does. The only ones who know about her are you, Okubo, Seigo, and myself. I don't think we have to worry about that yet anyway. We still have some time," he reminded Megumi.

"We don't have much. She's learning faster than I'd ever expected. If he finds out about her, then he won't waste much time in coming here," Megumi briskly turned around and shoved the files back at Katsura.

"Don't worry too much, Megumi. If everything turns out as it's supposed to then he will be eliminated before he has a chance to come here."

"I wouldn't be so sure. You've never been on the sharp side of his blade as I have. Shishio Makoto is not an easy man to bring down."

* * *

"Damn it!" 

"Sano? What's wrong?" Yahiko asked, peeking into the room from behind a freshly painted wall.

Sano crumpled up the already torn map and tossed it to the side when he said, "Two weeks, two weeks! It's been two weeks, we still haven't found a clue as to where she is!"

Yahiko, feeling it safe to step foot in the room littered with trash and sake bottles. He walked over to where Sano sat on the floor and set down the god-forsaken beverage he'd been ordered to get. After setting it down, he lifted himself to his feet and went to retrieve Sano's discarded map.

"We're not even in Kyoto yet," Yahiko stated, straightening out the torn and crinkled map of Japan. "You didn't honestly expect to find her that quickly? Just keep asking the people around here about her."

"Yeah, but I thought we'd at least have found some kind of sign," he sighed exasperatedly.

"Just keep looking!"

"I know, I know, I know. Are you packed? We gotta keep movin' if we're gonna find her," Sano said, getting up and slinging his pack over his sore shoulder.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Yahiko mumbled, silently fuming.

Sano just ignored him and strode out the door to find the owner of the house they had been boarding at for the past two days.

* * *

"Iie, you probably need that money more than we do," the aged owner protested when Sano tried to compensate him for housing both the travelers. 

"Just take the money," Yahiko muttered from below only to receive a kick in the shin from Sano.

"Please, take the money and we'll be going," Sano politely insisted after shutting up the boy next to him.

"Only if you're sure," the man replied hesitantly.

"We're sure," Sano said, handing him the money. "And once again, arigatou."

Sano turned away from the house and began walking along the path next to the house. Yahiko trailing after him, struggling to keep up with his longer stride.

After they were out of hearing range Yahiko huffed, "Since when did you get manners?"

"I figured I'd try Kaoru's approach to strangers, instead of _yours_. And what do you know, it worked!" Sano mocked sarcastically.

They walked along the path in a comfortable silence when Sano suddenly stiffened.

"Sano, what is it?" Yahiko whispered loud enough for only his companion to hear.

"Shut up. We're being followed," he shushed and began to walk slower.

As he did, Yahiko noticed he began to subtly inch closer to the thick trees beside the road. Though the sun was, by this time, high above the horizon the forest remained black and still. Yahiko hadn't noticed anything coming from the forest, much less a stalker. Yet, Sano was used to this sort of thing more than he was. Then Sano suddenly came to a dead stop. Had Yahiko not been watching where he was going he would have ran right into him.

Though no sooner than he had stopped he spun around and lunged into the dense foliage, disappearing from sight. When Yahiko charged in after him he saw that Sano had the situation well under control, though he could not see what the person looked like due to Sano's bulk. One bear-like hand clamped around a small neck, keeping their stalker pinned to the trunk of a thick oak. His other hand had been thrown to the side to help keep his balance. Sano's captive struggled to get free, grappling at the hand that had him fastened there.

"Who are you!" Sano barked.

"It's not nice to shout at a lady," the person, apparently female, gasped for air.

Sano loosened his grip, but still kept a firm hold on her neck. " When that _lady_ has been following me for nearly an hour now, I have the right to question her! Now, who are you?"

Instead of answering she continued to wrestle her way out of his grip. Beads of sweat trickled down her face as she was having trouble finding air. Yahiko could here choking noises emitting from Sano's other side.

"Sano! Don't kill her!"

"I'm not, not until we get some answers," he snarled, barely glancing back at Yahiko and then refocusing his gaze on the small woman. "Now, tell us why you were following us! I'm not one known for my patience!"

The woman sounded like she was trying to retort but was finding it difficult. And so, using her last ounce of air she grabbed hold of Sano's large hand around her gullet with her much smaller ones. Contradicting to their size though, was their strength. Once she had a firm grip on his wrist she kicked up her leg and with surprising force kneed him in his lower abdomen.

The unexpected blow caused him to kneel down and wrench over in pain, he wrapped his arms around his stomach allowing his captive to escape.

Without wasting a moment the woman seized her opportunity to escape. Then in a blurred motion she appeared on the opposite side of Sano and Yahiko, a comfortable fifteen feet away.

When Sano had regained air he glanced up, still holding his stomach. His eyes then met hers, but no longer did hers hold any fear or innocence as they had before. No, now he saw confidence and cunning held in those large, emerald orbs.

* * *

To be continued…

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**Author's Note:** Hello again! Sorry for the long wait! Well, that was chapter five! It really wasn't the best. I actually like how I had it planned out and then I encounter writer's block for the last part of the chapter. So it probably sounds a bit sluggish. Anyway, I hope you liked chapter five! I'm so happy because the plot within the plot is beginning to unfold! Oh! Once again, I'd like to thank my magnificent beta readers for taking the time to read and help edit my story! Thanks to **Onyx Dawn** and** ShirubaNeko**! Oh, now in my review responses I'll only be answering those of you who have questions, but I will give all of my reviewers a general thanks! - 

**Review Responses:**

**Black Metalmark:** Thanks you so much for your compliment! I really feel honored to know that you think I'm such a good writer! I just started writing because I felt like it, I never really thought that people would like my work! So once again, thank you! -

**Xxbeast-boyxX:** Yea! Another reviewer who thinks I'm a good writer! I feel so loved! I'm also impressed that you actually reviewed all of my written chapters so far! Most people don't do that! Thank you so much for reviewing! I hope you liked chapter five!-

**Jisusaken:** I'm glad you like my story! It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside! - I hope you liked chapter five, I know there isn't much happening right now. But, trust me I have a lot planned for this! Thanks so much for reviewing! -

**REIGNASHII: **I feel honored! I hope you thoroughly enjoyed chapter five! I know I enjoyed writing most of it! And remember to keep reviewing! Thank you so much! -

**CHIBIKenshinta-chan: **You like my story! Yea! And don't worry Kaoru's is definitely going to try and find more about Kenny! Trust me, next chapter she finds out one of the most important things about him! Once again, thanks so much! I feel loved! -

**froggi3:** I'm so happy you like my fic! Oh, and I don't think you'll be too disappointed in how it turns out! I hope I'm not giving away too much information there! Anyway I hoped you liked chapter five! -

**nilnil:** I'm so glad you liked my story! I hoped you like Onyx Dawn's story as well! She is such a great author! Thanks for reading both of our fics! -

**Mad-4-Manga:** I feel loved! You reviewed all my chapters! You deserve extra thanks! Thank you! -

**erica6060:** I'm so glad you like it! I also hope that your stories are coming along nicely! They sound like great plotlines! -

**Onyx Dawn:** Hello, my wonderful beta reader! Thank you so much for betaing chapters four and five! I hope you liked chapter five, although I think it dragged a little too much for my taste, but that's okay! - I need to read your other stories and you need to update soon! Well, once again… Thank you so so so so so much! I feel so loved! LYLAS! Buh-bye! -

* * *

**P.S.:** I know many of you have heard this before, but for those of you who haven't I'd like to suggest a story. For anyone who likes Harry Potter I highly suggest you go read **Guilty as the Arctic Winds** written by my friend **Onyx Dawn**. It's an amazing story with a deep plotline and her writing quality is excellent. So please go read her stories, they don't get nearly as much credit as they deserve! Thank you! -

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**Author's Note:** Once again, thanks to all my reviewers! And to everyone else please read and Review! Thank you so much! - 


	6. Change of Heart

**Author's Note: **I know, I know. It seems like it's been twice as long as last time since I updated. Well, that would be due to my slow e-mail. My beta readers edit it and then send the chapter back to me, but a lot of the time it doesn't come through! It's really very frustrating, Anyway…now that I've been able to vent all of my suppressed anger, I'd like to thank all of my gracious and faithful reviewers! You guys are too good to me! So Thank you! And once again great thanks must go to my two beta readers! I probably wouldn't have been able to continue this story if not for them! So thank you! I love you all! Well, I hope you all like chapter six (I can't believe I'm that far already)!

**Disclaimer:** I, in no way, shape, or form, own any of Rurouni Kenshin or its characters (tears). They rightfully and respectfully belong to Mr. Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Now, on with chapter six! I hope you enjoy!

**Change of Heart**

"Wh-Who…are…you?" Sano choked out.

"That doesn't really matter much now. But, if you'll come with me, I'll try to explain things," She said, walking over to Sano to make sure she hadn't done him _too_ much damage.

"Like hell it doesn't!" He coughed as he shoved her away and struggled to stand on his own.

"Fine! Well, I guess if you really don't_ need_ my help in finding you friend, I'll just be on my way," she snuffed, turning heel to walk back towards the road.

"W-whoa! What do you mean?" Sano stuttered, now standing on his own. "Do you mean Kaoru? Do you know where she is! Is she safe!"

"You'll know soon enough, but _only _if you follow me," she warned.

"Conniving little wench…" Sano grumbled under his breath and began to follow her out of the trees when something tugged on his gi. It was Yahiko.

"Are you sure we can trust her? She seems fishy to me," Yahiko whispered, eyeing the young woman ahead of them suspiciously.

"Well, if she really does know something about Kaoru, then what else are we supposed to do? She's our only lead."

"Something still seems up with her, and I don't like it," he said crossing his scrawny arms over his chest.

"I didn't ask you, did I?" Sano said, picking up his forgotten bag of supplies and following the woman out to the road.

"Fine, don't listen to me. Just don't come crying when she sticks a fork in your back," he grumbled and trailed after Sano.

With her leading them, Sano and Yahiko found themselves in a small, remote village. The woman had told them they were almost 25 kilometers east of Kyoto's outskirts. She had said this was Shan village, home to the Shui people for over 400 years.

She walked them up to a small shack, which Sano rightly assumed to be a local restaurant by the faint smell of takoyaki. A small sign posted on the outside of the shack read 'closed'. The emerald-eye woman ignored it and reached forward to draw back the tattered curtain which covered the doorway with one hand and pushed Sano inside with the other. She then motioned Yahiko inside and, after quickly checking to be sure no one saw them enter, she followed him.

Upon entering the woman breathed in the familiar scent of takoyaki mixed with the stuffy smoke being circulated through the shack. A middle-aged woman coming out from the back kitchen caught sight of her and called, "Mis-"

The one leading Sano and Yahiko immediately held one slender finger to her lips to and used her other finger to point to the boys.

As though reading her mind the older woman nodded and retreated back to the kitchen.

She continued to lead the two boys to a small, isolated booth in one particularly dim corner of the restaurant. She waved her hand to it, signaling them to sit there. Once she'd removed her shoes and set them down she knelt down opposite Sano and Yahiko.

"Okay," she began, "first off, when you're here you must promise to be quiet and not say a word of what I say to anyone else. Got it?"

They nodded.

"Good. Secondly, once you know what I'm about to tell you, you cannot leave, you will know too much. So if you still want to hear what I know, then stay. If not, I suggest you leave now."

"If it's anything about who we're looking for, then we're staying," Sano replied, never once breaking eye contact.

"Alright, just had to make sure about that. Now, while we're here, keep your voices down or shut the hell up."

Sano nodded. "We got it. Right, Yahiko?"

"Hey, I'm not the one you need to worry about," Yahiko retorted.

"Okay. Now, before you start," Sano turned his gaze toward the woman. "Tell us your name. If I'm supposed to trust what you say, I should at least know your name."

"Well…" She can't say she hadn't expected this. After all, she ambushed them…well, not exactly, but she had been spying on them. They deserved to know who she was, yet, from what she'd always learned, a person's name was the most important, the most delicate information someone could posses.

"Alright. My name's Misao, and that's all you need to know about me for now."

"Thanks. Well, since you already seem to know us, start talking," he urged.

"Your friend is Kamiya Kaoru, right?" Misao verified.

"Yeah."

"I can tell you where to find her. I can even take you there, but once you're there you won't be able to leave. You have to be sure you want to know this," she warned.

"We want to know this, no matter what. Besides we wouldn't leave without her with us anyway. Now, just tell us where she is," Sano demanded.

"Alright…Kamiy- Kaoru is being held at an isolated inn just beyond the outskirts of Kyoto. It's almost fifteen kilometers from where we are now. Getting there on foot might take a day, if we rush, maybe quicker." Misao said. "I can't give away much more information than that. You already know too much as it is. Anything else I might tell you is classified. I can reassure you, though, that Kaoru is safe, at least, for the present."

"Please…Misao, please can't you tell us anything else? I'm not one to beg, but…we're desperate. Kaoru's like a little sister to me, she's family. Don't you know what it's like to lose someone you love? We just can't bear to think of losing Kaoru, or to think she could be in any kind of danger. She's been through more than you could imagine. She doesn't deserve this," Sano pleaded.

Misao wasn't sure, but she could almost detect…tears welling up in this strong man's dark eyes. She glanced over at the smaller boy. His eyes were shielded by his jagged, spiky black bangs, but she knew it wasn't a trick of the light when his shoulder began to harshly quiver. She knew he was crying, but was trying unsuccessfully to hide it. He was a strong boy, but even a strong boy could use a lift every once in a while.

"Oh, Kami…I know I'm going to regret this," Misao said to herself, stress evident in her voice, stress that someone her age should never have to deal with. "Okay, I'm not supposed to know this, even some of the higher-ups don't know this. I know why she was kidnapped, and as stupid as it may sound it makes sense under the circumstances."

"Who cares how stupid it sounds. Just tell us what you know."

* * *

No matter how hard she scrubbed, no matter how many times she rinsed, the blood just wouldn't come off the walls.

Kaoru had been able to sleep for an hour, no more and no less. When she had woken up she had immediately gone to the front room to find that the previous night had not been a nightmare, no matter how much she wished it had been. There were no more injured men sprawled across the floor and Tsukaname had- well, he had been taken away. However, the tangible remains of last night were still clearly evident. Muddy-brown blood mixed with water still stained the floor. Gore had been wiped on the doorpost from when the men first came in last night. Now that Kaoru was able to actually take in the sight, it made her stomach turn and she felt the need to vomit, but couldn't. It was sickening, utterly sickening. Never in her life could she remember seeing so much blood at once. Or maybe she had just blocked out those times when she had.

With help from a few other woman who had not been able to find sleep, or found very little if they had, Kaoru began to scrub away the blood on the floors. They worked for what seemed like hours in vain. About halfway through, Megumi had come to join in the cleaning effort. Through their combined work, it seemed they began to make progress, little though it was.

Dawn quickly came and went Kaoru had been offered food that morning, but she refused.

She couldn't have downed anything anyway. She just kept working, working so hard to clean the stains from both her floor and her hands.

The harder that Kaoru thought about the night before and what she could have done, the harder she scrubbed at the stain on the wooden floor panels. She blocked out all other activity around her and kept her gaze locked on her working hands. She felt isolated, no, detached, as if what was going on around her didn't matter right now. Though she didn't notice, she began to attract attention from the women around her as she scrubbed even harder. Her mind was racing, her heart was beating faster than she could feel, and her hands were working just quickly. She didn't even hear one of the women cautiously approach her and kneel down until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. The hand belonged to Megumi.

"Kaoru…"

"Megumi! You scared me. Do you need help with something?" Kaoru said, placing a hand on her chest to calm her rapid heartbeat.

"No. Kaoru, I want you to take a break and come with me." The way she said it left no room for options.

Megumi picked herself up, knowing Kaoru would follow. And so Kaoru dropped the soaking towels into a bucket of luke-warm water and trailed after Megumi.

Megumi took Kaoru outside to a small flower grove on the edge of a still pond. She sat down on a bench under a blooming sakura tree and waved her hand for Kaoru to sit next to her.

When Kaoru had taken her seat, Megumi said, "You know,you worry me."

"What? What do you mean 'I worry you'?" Kaoru asked, legitimately confused.

"Just back there, you worried me. It's like you weren't even with us anymore. You couldn't hear me, or if you did you weren't listening. You remind me of someone else, that is before we lost him," Megumi replied.

"Well, it wasn't anything to worry about. I was just thinking to myself."

"For you sake, I hope it wasn't anything," Megumi said. "Kaoru, you've never been right there when someone's died before. You've never felt what it's like to not be able to save someone; to have them die because you weren't quick or efficient enough. I'm a doctor; I see it all the time. So I know how to handle things like last night, or at least better than some. You…you've never had that happen to you before. And now, for it suddenly to be thrown at you, it's not fair, and no doubt it's hard. You didn't even ask for it. Yet, here you are."

"I don't think I see where you're going with this."

"Oh, come on. You're a smart girl, you can figure it out," Megumi said, turning to face Kaoru- to make her understand. "What I'm saying is that you just can't keep doing this to yourself. You can't punish yourself for something you couldn't stop!"

"But- Megumi, I know I could have done something… I just know," Kaoru whimpered, feeling more helpless than she'd ever felt before.

"If you keep blaming yourself, it will start going to your head, and you'll go somewhere that few people ever come out from. I don't want you to work anymore today. You need to eat, and you need to rest," she said.

"But, I haven't finished in there- "

"Oh well, the rest of us will just have to finish it. I'm a doctor and it's my job to help my patients. As of today you've become a patient," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. "Now, if you can find Satsumi she'll give you something to eat."

Megumi stood and, after giving Kaoru one last empathetic look, walked back toward the inn to finish cleaning.

Kaoru didn't bother finding Satsumi for food. She just sat there on the bench by the water, pondering what Megumi had said. She felt like such a child, so weak and helpless. First, she couldn't save a man, then she just wallowed in self-pity. She hated this feeling. She wanted to be strong, she wanted to be able to save the next man who came to her for help.

After sitting there for what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes, Kaoru lifted herself up and started walking away from the direction the inn was in.

She wasn't even noticing where her feet were leading her. When she finally did stop, she found herself in the same clearing where she'd trained with Battousai nearly every day. Kaoru shuffled over to the nearest tree, another blooming sakura. She moved to the shadowed side and slid her back noiselessly down the semi-smooth trunk. She just sat there nearly unmoving, save for her light breaths. Some who passed might have thought she'd fallen asleep. However, sleep, right now, was probably the furthest thing from Kaoru's mind.

She just needed to think, no more than that; she just needed to think. Think of last night and the thoughts it had stirred up. She couldn't, or wouldn't, hear the weightless footsteps of someone coming close.

"You know, you should learn to get used to nights like the last. You'll probably see a lot more of them."

"Battousai," Kaoru breathed. She needn't even turn her head to know it was him.

As noiselessly as Kaoru had, Battousai slid down the trunk of the same sakura tree on the opposite side, the side facing the sun. "If you let it get to you every time a man is killed you won't last. You'll rot from the inside out."

"If I let what get to me?"

"The blood," he answered simply.

"It isn't the blood that hurts, it's the life lost." Kaoru shifted herself ever so slightly in order to see the edges of his flame-colored hair out of her peripheral sight.

"The more life lost, the more blood that stains your hands. And so it's the blood that hurts."

"Why are you trying to help me? Or at least that's what I assume you're doing," Kaoru suddenly asked, changing the topic. She turned her gaze straight ahead again.

"I'm not trying to help you, wench!" He spat.

"Why do you always call me that, or some other sort of insult? I have a name you know! And I'd appreciate it if you would call me by it!" Kaoru hissed vehemently, with enough venom in her words to match his.

Time almost seemed to stand still then as they both tensed from the awkward silence.

"You never asked to be called by your real name, and so I didn't," Battousai simply stated.

"Well, start calling me by my real name. Start calling me Kaoru."

"Kaoru."

She hesitated before saying anything. She had honestly expected him to retort or even slap her for standing up to him, but he just said her name: Simply Kaoru. "T-thank you," she stumbled. She wasn't sure about his reaction to what she would say next, but she dared it anyway. "U-umm…You know my name, now…so…tell me, what's yours? And I don't mean 'Battousai'. All of Japan knows that. I asked you once before and you never answered. So, what's your real name; your given name?"

He was actually taken aback. He can't say he hadn't expected it, but it still took him by surprise. No one, or very a few someones, had ever asked him his name, his real name. Most were even afraid to look him in the eye, let alone ask him such a private question. Or at least for him it was a private question. Yet, he felt compelled to tell her, and he had no idea why. "K-Kenshin."

Kaoru wondered when the last time was he had heard that name spoken? It was probably foreign, even to his tongue.

"Kenshin." Kaoru whispered softly.

And, for the first time in what seemed like years to her, she smiled. She whole-heartedly and genuinely smiled.

* * *

"Sir?"

"Hm?"

"A spy's just returned. He says that he has some information that you might find…_in-interesting,_" A young boy, probably no more than fifteen said, trying hard not to stumble on his words.

A low, raspy chuckle echoed across the room to where the boy stood. "Heh-are you afraid, boy?"

"N-no, s-sir."

"Oh, don't lie," the voice coaxed. "I would be afraid, too, if I were in your position."

"S-sir?"

"Never mind, just let in the informant," he commanded.

The lad couldn't even find words to reply. He made a shaky bow and exited the room. Moments later, a much older man stalked haughtily into the office, bearing with him a thick stack of smoke-stained paper in a plain manila folder. He carelessly tossed the folder onto the empty mahogany desk. The papers slid partially out.

The man sitting behind the desk picked up the top page and quickly skimmed it over. He began to chuckle once again. The more he read the deeper the chuckle grew.

"I think…we might be able to bend this to our will."

* * *

To be continued…

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**Author's Note:** Hallelujah! Chapter six is done! I've been working on this one for quite awhile and it still didn't come out as well as I had wanted it! I knew what I wanted to do, but I had trouble putting some of it into words. Anyway…I would once again like to thank my dedicated and wonderful beta readers, ShirubaNeko and Onyx Dawn! I can never thank them enough! Without them I know for certain you wouldn't be able to understand a thing in my stories. I also must give a huge thanks to my readers and especially those of you who review! I can't tell you how much that means to me and how much I appreciate it! Anyway…I hope you liked chapter six (even if it was kind of flat) And remember to Read and Review! -

**Review Responses:**

**Bradybunch4529:** As always your review made me feel so loved! I'm so glad you liked the chapter, and there shall be more twists to come! Thank you! -

**Xxbeast-boyxX:** Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I don't know how many times I can say that! But, I really mean it! You said I'm a good writer and that made me feel very loved! Hope you liked this chapter! Buh-Bye! -

**erica6060**: I'm glad you like! And if you continue reading you'll definitely find out what it is that Kaoru holds! However, I warn you, it probably won't be what a lot of people expect! Then again I could be completely wrong-heh. ( I hope I didn't give to much away there) Anyway, I hope your stories are coming along nicely! They sound like great plots! Anyway hope ya liked this chapter! -

**Onyx Dawn:** Thank you! I love you! (like a sister of course) I'm sorry I had to kill him! I honestly didn't want to either, but I was trying to put a little angst in there, I don't know if I succeeded. Well, chapter six is finally here! So, please don't kill me! You are probably one, if not my most faithful reviewer! So thank you so sososo much! LYLAS! Buh-Bye! -

* * *

**Review Mentions (Thank you for reviewing -)****Snow Leapord**

**Reignashii**

**Mad-4-Manga**

**Please Read:** Okay for any of you out there who like CCS or Harry Potter I highly suggest you go read some of Onyx Dawn's stuff! She's a totally awesome writer! Her works amaze me! For any of you who had be reading Guilty As the Arctic Winds don't worry it's not gone for good. She's just taken it down so she can rewrite it and make it better. She has other stuff up though and it's really really really good! I should know! I've read most of it. She's really good! She just doesn't get as much credit as she deserves! So please read! Thank you! -

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for reading, I hope you liked chapter six! Please Review! Thank you so much! Buh-Bye! -


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